In this blog post I want to share a common question I get asked regularly while training teachers and parents — Is copying pictures good to teach kids? I’ll share my expert advice on this topic and give you tips how to approach drawing lessons.
Yes, letting kids copy images is a good thing
I’ve taught thousands of children how to draw realistically and it’s a very slow process over childhood. One of my techniques is to use copy images or trace images to develop good fine-motor drawing practice. In my book Nurturing Children in The Visual Arts Naturally, one of the key things I share is a child’s visual perception, fine-motor development are connected to visual art learning. These two developmental stages are also key to learning to draw. For this reason I use coping and tracing to develop drawing muscles in their eyes, hands and memory.
Does copying stifle creativity?
No, but you don’t want to develop all your art lessons by simply copying images. You want to give kids a good balance of projects that use copy-mode and creative-mode drawing exercises. Copy-mode and Creative-mode are two phrases I explain in my book how kids need balanced art lessons to stay creative and have imagination flourish.
I have been drawing and illustrating professionally my whole life, and when I was a young girl I copied my favorite things like Snoopy the dog. By doing this I got really good at drawing Snoopy. I got lots of practice identifying how images came together by organic and geometric line shapes. When I finally got to fine art school and my professional drawing classes, I had all the fine-motor practice to learn to draw creatively by all the copying I did.
Having lots of experiences copying and tracing gave me excellent fine-motor practice. And gave me the esthetic eye I need to advance into an illustrator. So I say yes it’s good to copy images. I call this in my books guiding kids with art inspiration! Children need some creative spring-board of ideas to start drawing.
You should always give kids some point of reference to copy or an idea to design their own drawings. It’s really hard to sit down and think of something off the top of your head if you have not had practice drawing. So yes it s good for kids!
When copying becomes bad
If you require kids to follow copy-mode step-by-step instructions, and not allow any personal creativity then it can stifle creativity or any love for art making. Over the years I’ve worked with adults and teens that told me the number one reason they stop drawing was because of a bad teacher that insisted they follow directions and copy step-by step without freedom to personalize or draw their own ideas.
My advice is to give a good balance of drawing lessons in both copy-mode and creative-mode. If you would like to know more about creative-mode vs. copy-mode, I recommend my drawing books, or my first book Nurturing Children in The Visual Arts Naturally.
Teaching Professional Tips!
In my drawing classes or workshops I take kids through a series of copying their favorite images, tracing basic geometric and symmetrical simple line drawings, then allow my students to color or paint the finished drawings however they want. Then after some projects copying or tracing, I then give kids creative-mode lessons using the practice skills from copying and tracing with me. Copy-mode art can just be practice for getting ready to work on creative type projects they can use their imagination. This works for all ages from elementary to teens.
What can kids copy?
- Drawings in line form
- Their favorite animals
- Their favorite objects
- Their favorite characters
- Fun objects you’re currently studying
- Geometric shapes
- Fruits
Give kids fun objects to trace. Provide a focal point to the lesson and ideas to copy, along with visual samples. Allow freedom not to copy-step-by step. Let children to draw their own ideas that are related to the subject matter you’re teaching. Start all drawing lessons with basic pencil and eraser, then complete with fun mediums. You don’t need to know how to draw realistic drawings yourself to teach kids these basics drawing skills. If you have questions reach out to me. Now go have a fun drawing art lesson with kids!
Art Teacher – Spramani Elaun
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